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Interest has been kindled in me about my relative ignorance of Indian cuisine by various posts in this forum. After countless dinners out, I grew tired of the limited variety and lack of adventure in the local Indian restaurants and promptly bought an Indian cookbook and borrowed two others. We had a few friends over (mostly to critique) and I decided to relate my virgin cooking experiament. I decided to start with basic dishes as when I make my mistakes I would like to be able to identify where they took place and know...somewhat...what the dish SHOULD look and taste like. I prepared Lamb braised in yoghurt with clove fennel cumin and tumeric. Eggplant roasted with onion and tomato. caulifower potato. and Naan. Eggplant: This dish was definately the best executed of all the dishes. It was lightly spiced and relayed the inherant goodness of its ingredients. Cauliflower and potato. The spicing was successful. I believe the recipe was from a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook. The potatoes were boiled and were firm. A quick dish, the easiest of all to prepare. Criticism: I cooked this dish in a wok because of 1)lack of room on the crowed range and 2) lack of enough pans large enough to contain this double-recipe quantity of ingredients. The caulifower was sufficiently crisp and tasty, but I did not achieve the carmalization on the outside that I was seeking. Next time I need to use much higher heat and if I am cooking in the same quantity probably cook in two batches. Naan: I got this recipe from the Food Network. It was a disaster for various reasons. Luckily I saw this coming and bought some pre-made naan (read pita bread ) that sufficed. There were several problems with the recipe and myself. The dough called for only one cup of flour to, I believe, 3/4 cup water and ghee. I realize that with flatbreads in general (I make various flatbreads all the time) you will usually uptick the flour by as much as 1/4 a cup, but this recipe needed at least 1/2 a cup more flour to make the dough even managable. The recipe also called for a 400 degree oven to be baked for 12 minutes . I thought it sounded a little off for my desired consistency and, with a dough this wet, it was. My first batch ended up like a cracker or wafer. The rest of the evening I used the same temperature for six minutes and achieved the desired chewiness but little to no color. The next time (tonight? I've got lots of leftovers) I will use a 500 + degree oven and vary the time until correct. Posibly further modify the recipe as well. Lamb and yoghurt: In my mind this was the most successful dish. The braising sauce consisting mostly of yoghurt and a little water was perfectly seasoned and divine. The lamb was the problem, but I knew it would be; my local (it really wasn't even THAT local) Indian grocer only had leg of lamb in his store, I of course wanted shoulder, doubly so after tasting the dry, somewhat crunchy meat. Nevertheless, I will definitely cook this dish again with a more suitable cut. Lessons learned. 1. Make Naan every night this week till I get it right. 2. Always use appropriate cuts of meat for various cooking techniques. 3. Not enough can be said for hot pans. 4. Use sufficient trepadation when tasting unknown ingredients. I had never had pure Asafoetida before and before adding it, surely I must taste it. About 1 1/2 teaspoons later, you can imagine my reaction. Any comments or suggestions are definately welcome as I am about as ignorant as they come. If anybody is interested in specific recipes, I can post them tonight or possibly tomorrow. Suvir: you had mentioned your sister lived in Dallas; Where does she shop for her indian staples? I had no problem with the location I went to, but one storefront is hardly a sufficient sample.

While waiting for Suvir's cookbook.... I have Betty Crocker's Indian Home cooking by the same author. Was wondering if any of you have seen his new book. and what do you think?

I was served Indian Savory Cereal for breakfast at a yoga retreat this weekend--it was warm and spicy, contained millet, sunflower seeds, onions, tomato, peppers. The consistency was divine, not thick like oatmeal but thinner, like a hearty soup. Topped with yogurt & cayenne powder. I loved it. It was reheated and served again the next morning and was still delicious. Does anyone know how to make this?

What do you think of when thinking meat and Indian food? What makes Indian food preparations of meat different from other cuisines? What should one keep in mind when eating Indian style meat dishes?

What do you think of when thinking chicken and Indian food? What makes Indian food preparations of chicken different from other cuisines? What should one keep in mind when eating Indian style chicken dishes?

My younger daughter who is 8 years old has been a solid vegetarian for almost 7 months. She has her reasons and my wife and I respect them. However as children grow they are in need of so many nutrients and we want to be sure that our little one is recieving them. As you we're growing up what are some of the things that you enjoyed that were vegetarian? How was your introduction to spices, what I mean is, are dishes prepared milder for young one's? or are they spiced at the same level as an adults taste. I have been successful with the use of cumin,ginger,chili's....not so successful with curry ( I use Madres) Any idea's tips or even recipes would be much appreciated.

My parents are down in London for the weekend and my Baba is waxing lyrical about the Payesh of his youth. I would love to try and make it for him Does anyone have a good recipe for this most unctuous of Bengali dishes? S

I have recently made trips to a Dosa spot that has been praised quite a lot around this site and elsewhere. I was terribly dissapointed. Dosas are one of my favorite foods. It is a pity that Indian restaurants in NYC have really not shared the magic that can come with each bite of a Dosa. Some friends of mine that have traveled to India and had loved Dosas even before making that trip, came back never wanting to eat American Indian Dosas again. There is such a marked difference. Why is that so? What makes them so different? Where do you find your favorite Dosa? What are you looking for in a good Dosa? What do you think the perfect Dosa should be like? What should the Sambhaar have in it? What consistency should it be? What should the chutney be like? What chutneys would you like to eat it with? What do you think are the authentic companions to a Dosa?

eGullet UK is having a huge (21 people) get-together at the Tayyab restaurant in London next week. This is actually a Pakistani restaurant, and doesn't serve wine (whether for religious or commercial reasons I don't know). Tony Finch, who has organised the event, suggests we all bring our own wine, and has recommended Shiraz as a good match for this type of food. The problem is that now everyone will bring Shiraz and that's likely to be boring. So I'd like an alternative suggestion or two. I have to admit that I generally drink (Indian) beer at Indian restaurants, and I can't think of a classic red wine that seems to fit. Maybe Chianti ? So please make some suggestions. If your choice is obscure, some ideas on where I could buy it in London would also help. Thank you, folks, you might also change my drinking habits at Indian restaurants for ever

Does anyone have a favorite recipe for this delicious dessert? I find it sad that so many restaurants in NYC never serve good ones. Actually I am yet to eat any that come even remotely close to the great ones we would eat the Bengali Sweet in Barakhamba Road in New Delhi. Does anyone have a good source for these? A recipe that you love?

Dakshin 741 9th Avenue (50th Street) NYC 212-757-4545 I ate a great buffet at Dakshin. Not one for buffet, but it is the most conveninet thing to do at times. I am weary of Indian buffets, have had many bad experiences, but at Dakshin, the food was fresh, tasty and seemed endless. Does anyone else know Dakshin? Eric Asimov had reviewed it in the NY Times last year. The name Dakshin means "Southern", and the restaurant does serve several Southern Indian dishes, but more importantly serves in a no fuss setting great food and with humble service. Will write more later about todays lunch. Would love to hear what others have to say about their experiences there.

Tomato Chutney I have missed this chutney for the longest of time. Growing up in Delhi, my sisters best friend in school was from the South. (Andhra Pradesh to be precise. Andhra is most famous for their pickles and chutneys). Her mother would make the best tomato chutney. A couple of years ago, experimenting with some really ripe tomatoes and relying on my memory, I came up with the recipe. It really tastes like Durgas mothers recipe. I now make it all the time. And in fact, when tomatoes are in season and ripe and bursting with flavor and juice, I make a lot of this chutney, can it and give it out as gifts to friends when visiting them. It is a fiery chutney for most palates. But those that are familiar with Andhra pickles and chutneys will find it just average. I love the chutney with fenugreek seeds, they add a slight bitterness to the chutney that I love. If you are not a fan of bitter tastes, avoid using it. 8 pounds very ripe beefsteak tomatoes, chopped finely 1 1/2 cup canola oil 40 fresh curry leaves 16 whole dried red chiles 2 tablespoon mustard seeds 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, optional 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoon cayenne (half if you want a milder chutney) 2 tablespoon coriander seed powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon sambhaar powder 2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon asafetida 1 6 oz. can of tomato paste 3 tablespoon salt, or more to taste 1. Pour the oil in a large sauce pot, enough to hold the tomatoes and then some. It is important that the pot be deep, as the chutney will simmer a long while and will splatter otherwise all over your stove and counter. 2. Measure out all the dried spices other than the asafetida into a bowl and set aside. 3. In the oil add the curry leaves, whole red chiles, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds if using. Fry over a medium high flame for 3 minutes or until the chiles are a nice dark color and the cumin are a nice golden brown. 4. Now add the asafetida and fry for half a minute. Add the dried spices and fry for barely half a minute and add the chopped tomatoes. Add the salt and sugar. Stir well and cook on this medium high flame for an hour and a half or until the oil has separated and the chutney begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. 5. Fill the chutney into 10 sterilized half-pint jars and process as per manufacturers instructions for 20 minutes. 6. Cool, check for seal, label and store.

Suvir, I was wondering what the status of your book is? I have read a few references to it in some of the threads. I would certainly buy such a book when it comes out. Thanks! Ben

“Put those two on the table, will you?” Kabir said, gesturing towards a dish of potatoes swimming in a thin tomato sauce, and another that held stir-fried butternut squash speckled with black mustard seeds. Then he picked up a saucepan of something that looked like small doughnuts sailing in a white yogurt sauce and began plopping the “doughnuts” into a round serving dish. He poured the sauce over them, covering them completely. “Don’t put those out yet”, he said, rummaging around in the cabinet to the left of the stove. The cabinet was crammed with jars of spices. He pulled out several jars and unscrewed the lids. “What are they?” “They’re lentil dumplings. Now watch this.” He took a spoonful of a tan colored powder out of one of the jars and used the spoon to draw parallel lines of the powder over the yogurt. When he couldn’t add any more lines to the direction in which he was working, he picked up a jar of orange-red chili powder and began making parallel lines of it to cross the cumin. I sat down to watch him. He had a lot more patience than I did for this kind of tedious work. He spent the next five minutes covering the whole of the yogurt with colored geometric designs made from the cumin and chili powders, a dark brown powder that he said was garam masala, chopped cilantro, a brown tamarind-date chutney and a green mint chutney. The decoration reminded me of sand paintings of mandalas I’d seen made by Tibetan monks. “It’s not just for looks,” Kabir said, standing back to appraise the finished work. “The spices and herbs and chutneys add flavor to the dish, too.”

Last night at The Brick Lane Curry House in NYC, I had a vindaloo which was excellent but didn’t contain potatoes. I asked the owner about this and he said that the inclusion of potatoes is inauthentic and due to a mistaken etymology, vind – aloo, the last part meaning potato. According to him the correct etymology is vin – daloo, the first part meaning vinegar and the second pork. Comments?

Kabir had been in the midst of making dam aloos for his friend Vishal who would be joining them that evening. It was Vishal’s favorite dish, “a shining example” of the cooking of the Mughal courts. The Mughals, Muslims who invaded India from what is now Uzbekistan, ruled India from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The Mughal rule was noteworthy both for having tolerated all the religions in India and for making India, for a time, into one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. Mughal cooking is accepted as the height of Indian culinary culture. Kabir had used the tiniest whole baby potatoes Geoff could find at the Union Square greenmarket near their downtown apartment. The potatoes had been peeled and deep-fried, punctured with several holes to help them absorb the sauce, then cooked again in a mixture of yogurt and fried onions spiced with fresh ginger, a whole garam masala (whole cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves), turmeric and cumin. There was just enough of the richly flavored sauce to coat the potatoes. Just as Kabir was putting these into an ovenproof dish, the phone rang. It was Vishal calling to ask what to wear. Hands still stained with sauce, Kabir took the phone.

At the moment he was cooking and I’m sure he was telling himself that the unbearable heat of the day was making this afternoon’s work that much more of an act of love. The crazy thing about Kabir is not just that he believes this but that after hanging out with him for a while, I do, too. The kitchen was a small unremarkable New York apartment kitchen just large enough to house a table and the usual appliances. On one wall was a good sized pantry usefully stuffed with dry goods including a lot of Indian food like dried lentils and beans, unusual types of flour, jars of spices, containers, grocery bags and a large selection of Kabir’s homemade Indian pickles. That day, Kabir was at the stove cooking dried white peas into a ragda chaat, a dish of peas flavored with spices, lemon juice and fresh cilantro, for his good friend Liz, outspoken restaurant critic and soft-porn novelist. Ragda chaat is Indian street food, one of a spectrum of dishes sold by vendors who hustle masses of people on the streets of India with their made-to-order snacks. Kabir had told me that Liz was a passionate fan of Indian street food, his in particular. One day, watching her tucking amorously into his food, Kabir suggested to me that Liz’s love of street food was no coincidence: in all cultures, the pleasure of this kind of food lies not in subtlety but in its boldness and savor. Liz herself is smart, blunt, and raw in that way New Yorkers can be – utterly civilized and engagingly boorish at the same time.

I have been eating a fair amount of Indian food lately and have noticed that the cuisine in my neck of the woods is all served in the same style. The menu is ala carte and for the most part either family style or one entree per person with rice as a side. Are there any instances where Indian cuiside breaks this mold? I would be very interested to try out a multi-course affair that highlights Indian cuisine and shows it off with inspired plating and service. I think that the cuisine would easily lend itself to this style of presentation/preperation due to the basis of spicing. Thoughts everybody? Thanks, Ben

Vishnu had returned. He was sitting on a chair next to the couch. He had a plate of food and he was eating with his hands. Not his hands: his right hand, only. He had mostly rice and potatoes on his plate, with very little sauce. Some of Kabir’s pickled red pearl onions, too. He mashed a bit of potato to a rough paste on the plate between his thumb and first two fingers. He mixed that with some rice, still mashing. He shaped the mixture into a small ball, dipped his head towards the plate and brought the food to his lips. Then a pickled onion went into his mouth, followed by more rice and potato.

What do you think about Ayurveda? Do you cook any Ayurvedic recipes? What do you know about it?

Keema is a dish that many Indians love. Made from lamb or chicken minced meat, it is found in several versions across India. Do you ever make anything similar to Keema for vegetarians?

I am catering a Tea Party later today in Bridgehampton. (4PM - 8PM) It is primarily for kids and their parents. There are going to be around 20 kids and 10 adults. What would you serve for a party like this? Are there any dishes in particular you think would work best for kids? Remember, the theme is Indian, and the foods have to be Indian... Want to take a guess as to what I served? I will post the menu after I am back from the party...

Indian dishes have a very complex flavor profile. The depth of flavoring depends on many different tastes coming out of one dish. One of the basic such flavor is sour and so, many Indian dishes have at least one souring agent in them. It is rare but not uncommon to find dishes with no such agent. Souring agents play a very important role in Indian cooking for with the addition of the hot, sweet and bitter, sour is a pleasant companion. Souring agents are more commonly found in the traditional cooking of the Hindus. The few Mogul and Moslem dishes where one easily finds sour ingredients are those that evolved from a rich fusion of the Hindu and Moslem traditions as in the most amazing cuisine of Hyderabad.

Are there any cooking techniques from India that you have mastered? Any that you want to know about? Which ones do you employ most when cooking?

Chutneys are to Indian food what Salsas are to Mexican. Made from vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains and pulses, these are as diverse as the country itself. Each home has a favorite few and their own versions of those classics that are known throughout India. When making chutneys in a food processor, make sure to use as little water as you possibly can. This makes the chutney taste more potent and rich in flavor. Often adding some sev, chivda or papri to the chutney is a good addition. These absorb the extra moisture and are also a great added flavor.